Valley powerhouses Progreso, Hidalgo collide for Final Four berth

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Since 2004, the path to the boys soccer Final Four has run through the Valley 13 times.

Brownsville Lopez and Brownsville Porter were the first Valley teams to face off in their respective class’ regional final in 2004, with the Lobos defeating the Cowboys 1-0 before going on to win the state title.

Most recently, Valley View and Porter went head-to-head in the Region IV-5A final in 2021, with the Tigers downing the Cowboys 2-1 in overtime before falling in a Class 5A state semifinal to Kingwood Park.

Add another RGV vs. RGV regional final to the list this season, with the Progreso Red Ants (29-0-0) and Hidalgo Pirates (23-0-3) set to meet in the Region IV-4A DI final at 7 p.m. today at Tiger Stadium in Mercedes.

The meeting marks the 14th Valley vs. Valley boys soccer regional final, with the winner set to become the RGV’s 30th state qualifier.

“It’s a Valley final,” Hidalgo head coach Esteban Alegria said after the team’s regional semifinal win Saturday. “It’s what everyone wanted. We’re looking forward to it. I think everybody in the Valley is looking forward to it. It is pretty special to have that feeling that a potential state champion can come from this game. I know both coaching staffs are looking forward to it. Hopefully we can pack the crowd for this game.”

THE PATHS

The journey to the Elite Eight has been very different for both teams. During the regular season, the Red Ants posted an impressive 26-0-0 record, including a 14-0-0 mark during district play for their third straight district title. More impressively, Progreso outscored its regular season opponents 143-6, allowing more than one goal just once.

The postseason has been a different story for Progreso, with two of its three playoff games decided by one goal.

The Red Ants struggled offensively against Port Isabel during the bi-district round, finding paydirt just once for the 1-0 win. During the area round, Progreso poured it on against Pharr IDEA, scoring five second-half goals en route to a 7-1 win.

The third round proved to be the most difficult challenge to date for the Red Ants, who needed three second-half goals to erase a 2-0 halftime deficit and come away with a 3-2 win over La Vernia. The victory sent the Red Ants to the regional final for a second straight year.

Hidalgo’s path has been completely different, going 13-0-5 during district play to finish second behind Valley View in the district table. The Tigers ultimately were eliminated from postseason play before it even began, however, with Valley View forced to forfeit all but three of their games. The shakeup moved Hidalgo to 15-0-3 on the year, making them the official District 30-4A champs.

The postseason has fared better for the Pirates, who cruised through the first three rounds. They opened the playoffs with a 7-2 win over Corpus Christi Tuloso-Midway, with seven different players scoring during the win.

The second round resulted in a 6-0 thrashing of Brownsville IDEA Riverview, which was followed by a dominant 4-1 win over Davenport during a Region IV-4A DI semifinal Saturday.

The regional final berth marks the third in the past five years for the Pirates.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Expect offensive fireworks during Tuesday’s regional final between the Pirates and Red Ants, with the two teams combining for 282 goals this season.

At the core of it all are a pair of prolific scorers for both teams.

Sophomore Hicker Segura finished as the Valley’s No. 3 scorer during district play, scoring 29 goals in 12 district appearances. His 2.4 goals per game average led the RGV.

Meanwhile, the Pirates field a dominant offensive weapon of their own in JJ Garcia. Hidalgo’s star striker netted 17 goals during district play, averaging just less than a goal per contest. He’s taken it to another level during the playoffs, scoring nine times through the first three rounds, including back-to-back games with four goals.

While the offenses steal the headlines, both teams are backed by stout defenses. The Pirates allowed just 18 goals in district games this season and held their three playoff opponents to a combined two scores.

The Red Ants were even more dominant, allowing just three goals during district play and a combined three goals through the first three rounds.

Anchoring both teams are a pair of solid goalkeepers in Hidalgo’s Gael Carrasco and Progreso’s Luca Alvarez. The duo combined for 18 clean sheets during district play, each recording nine.

The winner of the match could come down to the man inside the box.

MATCHUP HISTORY

The meeting between the Pirates and Red Ants marks the fourth time the teams have matched up in the postseason. Hidalgo enters the game with a 2-1 series advantage over Progreso.

The 2015 season was the first year the two teams met during the playoffs, with Hidalgo winning the Region IV-4A quarterfinal match 3-1. The Pirates lost 1-0 in the next round to Fredericksburg.

The teams squared off again in 2017 during a Region IV-4A quarterfinal. The Red Ants won that match 3-0, marching all the way to the Class 4A state semifinals before losing to Bridgeport 2-0.

Their most recent meeting came during the 2023 season, with the teams squaring off in the Class 4A area round. The Pirates defeated the Red Ants 5-2 that season, going on to win the Class 4A state title.

The fourth meeting presents the highest stakes between the two teams, with the winner securing its respective program’s fourth state semifinal appearance.

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